Islay’s smoky single malt, Ardbeg, is on a quest to find its most devoted fans. To celebrate 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee and the opening of its boutique hotel, Ardbeg House, fans can win the ultimate whisky pilgrimage to Islay.
Two winners will be announced on December 6, 2025, and will travel to Islay in May next year. The prize includes two Premium Economy flights and a three-night stay at Ardbeg House, offering a world-class whisky and hospitality experience.
The competition closes November 30, 2025. To enter, submit a photo or short video with a caption showcasing your Ardbeg devotion. Join others like Tynan Sidhu of Silver’s Motel, who celebrates the bond among Ardbeg lovers, and help crown one winner with the People’s Choice Award. Entry is exclusively through www.ardbegcommitte.com.au — hit the link for more information.
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After several months sitting empty, the space formerly occupied by The Everleigh in Fitzroy finally has new tenants. Opening in the coming weeks, Moondrop will be a Chinese-inspired cocktail bar by the team behind Sleepy’s Cafe & Wine Bar in Carlton North; Steve Chan, Jacob Muoio and Jesse Kourmouzis (ex-Above Board).
I popped into the still-under-construction space above Belle’s Hot Chicken on Gertrude Street last week to have a chat with Jesse and Steve and get a sense of what they’re planning for this legendary piece of hospo real estate. The basic layout of the venue will stay the same, with the bar in the same place as always, but even now I can tell there will be a more playful vibe to Moondrop.
Jesse shows off a steel plate with the Moondrop logo of three rabbits arranged in a circle; a motif that can be seen throughout the venue. “One of the working names that we threw around at the start was ‘Yutu,’” he says. “Yutu is this magical rabbit creature in Chinese mythology that makes the elixir of life for the moon goddess, Chang’e,” he explains.
“We ended up going with Moondrop, but we’ve still got the connection to the rabbits as our guiding light,” adds Steve. “And it’s Jesse, Steve and Jacob as our three directors, so our logo is the three rabbits.” Apart from the bunnies laser-etched into the stainless drip trays and hand-painted onto feature tiles on the bartop, the most obvious moon-related feature is a huge paper lantern hanging in the middle of the main room and casting a moonlight glow over the bar.
Surrounded by sheets of white linen at various heights and angles, “It will look different depending on what angle you’re at,” says Steve, “which represents the different phases of the moon.”